Teens and Social Media – It’s Complicated

In the year since U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released his Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, we have seen growing and genuine concern (mixed with elements of a moral panic) about the effects of social media on teens. The headlines are everywhere. NBC News asks if social media is “harming teens,” and the New York Times declares that “everyone” says it’s bad. Pundits are writing books and state, and federal lawmakers are stepping into action. Yet, the results of a growing body of research are complicated and not nearly as clear-cut as the headlines might imply.

So, is social media bad for teens?

The best short answer is it depends. The specific social media platforms adolescents use each have pros and cons. The way adolescents engage with said platforms has further risks and benefits. Parental oversight plays a role, along with the larger context in which our society interacts with social media in general. I’ll walk through the research findings below to shed some light on the complicated role social media plays for teens today.

Let’s start with the bad news.

There are well-documented negative mental health outcomes associated with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying (incidentally, one of the concepts I focused on in my doctoral dissertation), has been linked to an increased risk of suicide, and can lead to increased depression and anxiety symptoms. Using social media, in turn, does provide more opportunity for children and adolescents to be exposed to cyberbullying themselves. In fact, excessive screen time (along with a change in mood and/or withdrawal from other responsibilities) can sometimes be a red flag for more concerning issues.

Another knock against social media is the well-established impact that social comparison has on the developing adolescent brain. Spending long periods on platforms on which people post only the most flattering images of themselves or their lives invites strong negative comparisons, particularly by girls. These comparisons can increase body dissatisfaction, promote unhealthy eating or exercise habits, and lead to low mood and other depressive symptoms. Not to mention the effect that even adults experience when viewing altered or heavily filtered image of peers; poor body image and lower self-esteem abound when comparing oneself to perfection only attainable by AI.

Now for the complicated part.

Articles like this one cite research stating that active social media use (such as liking, commenting, and conversing back and forth) increases well-being, while passive scrolling leads to poorer outcomes. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam completed a meta-analysis of 40 survey-based studies to try to understand where these claims came from and how valid they are and found very little support for this claim. They explain in their paper, published in 2022, that these constructs are difficult to define and difficult to obtain reliable data on. They noted, for example, that active and passive social media use happens in both public and private realms, and that liking/commenting (examples of “active” use) can fall, based on how researchers define or operationalize these terms, in both categories. Essentially, we have this human intuition that scrolling aimlessly through images and videos, some heavily filtered and most cherry-picked for perfection, can make us feel sad or detached, while providing direct support to friends through likes or positive comments can make us feel good. Research has yet to prove this wrong, but it also has not yet reliably established this as true.

Another complicated aspect of social media use is the issue of displacement. Displacement refers to the activities a teen may be missing out on due to his or her social media use. For example, if scrolling on her phone is keeping someone from attending swim team practice or an evening out with friends, that could be an example of harmful displacement. However, if this teenager follows through on her responsibilities, attends afterschool activities, and maintains her social life, social media use may not be presenting as much of a risk to mental health.

What about the positives?

Despite the risks, potential drawbacks, and muddy waters around social media, there are some important benefits to social media use in teens. Social media platforms allow teens and adults alike to interact with peers, learn new things, and find like-minded individuals with shared interests. At its best, social media provides entertainment and humor, and connects people across time zones, oceans, and continents. For teens in particular, social media platforms offer a space to explore ideas, identities, and parts of themselves that they may not yet be ready to debut in their home or school contexts.

For example, social media has turned into a vital lifeline for teens in the LGBTQ+ community. Adolescents questioning their identities and exploring aspects of sexuality or gender use social media to connect with supportive communities, protecting them from negative mental health outcomes, such as increased depression and anxiety. The ability to access information and support from the LGBTQ+ community is a vital step in adolescent growth and self-determination, especially when they may not yet be ready to discuss with a parent or caregiver.

Outside of marginalized communities, whose members derive connection and support within the social media space, online connections can also foster a larger sense of belonging and social engagement among specific teenagers. Researchers found that individuals with limited interpersonal skills or lower confidence experienced a greater sense of belonging on social media platforms. These benefits depend highly on the individual characteristics of the teenager’s personality and the purposes and extent of social media use.

How do we move forward?

Social media use is also a reality of life for adolescents. According to a 2023 Pew Research study of adolescent technology use, nearly all teenagers have access to a smartphone. YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram (in descending order) are the most frequently used platforms. Given the nature of technology use in education, teens report going online for both social and school reasons every single day. As adults, we can relate to this. You are reading this blog online, after potentially learning about it on Instagram. While it is well established that social media has its flaws, it is important to spend time raising children to be digitally literate, discerning consumers of online information. Parents, teachers, and caregivers alike must begin the conversation with teens about safe social media use now to set them up for success in a world where exposure to some form of social media is unavoidable. If your teen is seeing a therapist, be sure to check in with her about the best way to navigate social media boundaries (and reach out if beginning therapy is right for you). Keep an eye out for tips on how to start that conversation, coming soon!